Tardozzi cites a personal loss of competitive drive, but we think it probably has something more to do with the criticism Tardozzi came under for Noriyuki Haga’s WSBK Championship loss by a handful of points. Many believe those points went to Michel Fabrizio at Imola, when the Italian rider passed Haga, won the race, and thus took 5 points away from his teammate.

With no offers on the table, Tardozzi leaves the team without a new job lined up. As he explained to GPone.com, Tardozzi is open to offers, saying “Racing is still my world, and if something interesting comes my way, I’m sure to stay.”

Whether or not those 5 points would have made a difference in the Championship’s outcome is a moot point at this point, but certainly the criticism in the Ducati camp and in the Italian press helped push Tardozzi to his decision. No word yet on who will take-over at Ducati in WSBk. More on that as we get it.